Why Orange City will win the derby: defence the Lions' saviour

NICK MCGRATH13 Jun 2014, 4 a.m.

Orange City’s two-year dominance of the premiership’s top grade was not based on one thing

THERE’S going to be people in Blowes Clothing Cup circles who say Orange City’s two-year dominance of the premiership’s top grade was based on one thing, and now that factor is gone the boys from Pride Park will battle to maintain that same stranglehold on the competition in 2014.

While the absence of players at the start of the season was telling, particularly against Dubbo Roos, the Lions’ gritty 22-10 win over the Bathurst Bulldogs last round told me one thing - the Lions of old are back.

I hear most Mondays how much Emus have improved, and I agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment.

But Emus, a club that hasn’t played finals football in the last two seasons, failed their only true test this winter so far - losing 20-16 against a Dubbo outfit minus its Country stars.

Tomorrow’s game will be infinitely tougher again.

Winning the last two Endeavour Oval derbies 25-8 and 32-18, Orange City’s big game experience will trump the chooks on Saturday afternoon.